Actor Profile | Defense Armed Forces of Mozambique (FADM)

The Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM) has its roots in the 1992 General Peace Agreement (GPA), which ended the 15-year civil war between the ruling Frelimo and Renamo. Central to the GPA was the demobilization of Frelimo and Renamo forces and the establishment of a new national military drawing from both sides. Since that time, the development of FADM as a professional military has been hindered by a long, drawn-out demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) process that was not completed until 2022. It is consequently one of the smallest and poorest equipped militaries in the region and was poorly placed to face the Islamist insurgency that emerged in Cabo Delgado in 2017. These deficiencies left FADM heavily reliant on overseas support for field operations in the north, training, and equipment. In this context, this profile examines FADM’s origins and constraints to its growth, and how these factors have impacted its capacity to respond to the Cabo Delgado insurgency. It examines FADM operations in Cabo Delgado province since 2017, its relationships with other domestic and international state forces, and its prospects in the conflict with the likely withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in July 2024.